Tong Hua
by PreseatheKitsune
Summary: A patient with an unknown diagnosis helps Derek and Angie become closer. A final act of kindness before what might be the end. Derek x Angie; light Kanji x Naoto


Disclaimer: I do not own Trauma Center or Persona 4 as they belong to Atlus.

Note: This story ties in with Hachiko, but isn't required to understand the other story.

Note 2: Occurs right after Trauma Center: Second Opinion. Yes, before hotter Derek.

oOoOoOo

Tong Hua

oOoOoOo

GUILT was the man-made terror that had started going around earlier this year, but now that it had been mostly eliminated and his and his nurse's expertise was called elsewhere to make sure there were no more traces, this was just baffling. They considered coming to Yasoinaba, Japan to be the slowest job they had most of the year. The patient they were assigned too wasn't even diagnosed with the man-made virus. What Angie had collected in the patient's file was the following:

Name: Tatsumi, Kanji  
Age: 23  
Height: 189 cm

Diagnosis: Unknown

Patient found collapsed by Yasoinaba Station. Confirmed to be Vasovagal Episode brought on by nausea, but more symptoms confirmed.

Angie sighed as they sat in Inaba Municipal Hospital's break room, her coffee cooling as she read off the symptoms. "Nausea again, chest pain, hemoptysis, numbness, shortness of breath… Doctor, it's almost like he has every heart disease possible, but then there's the occasional symptom that could be pneumonia or leukemia. They are both highly treatable," she said, but then shook her head, "Without the proper diagnosis though, any of the treatments could possibly…"

"I know. Any of the treatments could kill him. What are they doing for him right now anyway?" he asked, looking at Angie.

She flipped the file on their patient, promptly frowning and flipping the page again. Her jade eyes darted around and then she shook her head, "There's nothing except a saline drip and the occasional dose of anesthetic if he can't sleep. Dr. Stiles, maybe you should try talking to your patient. It might get us somewhere."

"Well, not at the moment. He has a visitor," he replied, "But I'll go wait outside."

"Alright… it's almost dinner time so I'll go pick up his food," Angie said and rose to her feet. He rose, watching as she walked gracefully out of the room with the patient file in one hand and her coffee in the other. He heard the sound of her heels disappear down the hall before stretching and scratching his unkempt, brown hair. His glasses rose as he rubbed his eye and walked over to the sink. Any more nighters like this and he'd end up looking like Victor. Dr. Stiles almost laughed at his joke as he straightened his scrubs and washed his hands. Nobody would ever be able to look like Victor except for maybe his sister.

Oh well…

He dried his hands and proceeded out of the room, walking down the long corridor of Inaba Municipal. Their patient had been here for a year and the hospital was considering whether or not to transfer him to a room in the ICU or to another hospital. That announcement had caused some commotion, but none-the-less, something was bound to happen. Their patient was nowhere near recovering.

"… and maybe you can teach me how to make a summer kimono?"

"Summer kimono? Ya sure that won't be overloadin'?"

"Hey, I keep up with my studies Kanji-kun. You'll get well, right?"

" 'course I will, Nanako-chan. Tell the others I said 'Hi', 'lright?"

"Yes! Big Bro and Yukiko-chan are going to visit tomorrow though. Hehe, bye."

Dr. Stiles stepped aside as a young girl walked out of the room, her pig tails bouncing with each step and a beaming smile on her face. He turned back to the door and stepped in, smiling, "Hello, Tatsumi-san. How are you feeling today?"

"Eh... same as always I s'pose…"

Kanji Tatsumi was sitting up in his bed, his brown with bleach-tipped hair falling in front of his face a bit. He seemed a bit paler than yesterday, but he was doing what Dr. Stiles found he did on a daily basis: sewing. Today, it looked like a small dog. Kanji forced a small grin on his face, "So, how's eve'ythin' with you, doc? Still chasin' around that nurse?"

"H-Hey! …T-That's a personal matter," Dr. Stiles replied, but he turned pink at the accusation. A somewhat dry laugh came from Kanji, but he was still smiling all the same, his hazel eyes looking at Dr. Stiles.

"You better take the chance man… you do that and I might tell ya sumthin' nobody in this hospital knows," Kanji said, "I dunno, might help ya figure things out."

"Disease-wise or girl-problem wise?" Dr. Stiles asked before thinking.

That got Kanji to start laughing hard, "Man, I knew it! You're crushin' on your nurse!"

"W-What!? Ah!" Dr. Stiles just realized what he had said and felt blood rush to his face even more. He was supposed to be finding out more about Kanji's health, but here he was now, looking like an idiot… again. He scratched his head, "Okay, okay! You got me. Yeah, I like my nurse, but I have no idea where to start."

"Jus' try soon. Remember, we made a deal," Kanji said, smirking weakly. His eyes fell to the dog he was sewing and he snapped the thread. Dr. Stiles gave a start, catching the dog as it was tossed to him. Kanji closed his eyes, "Try startin' slow… give 'er gifts, but just get her before she leaves, okay?"

'_Why would she leave?' _Dr. Stiles wondered, but then nodded, "I'll give it a shot."

---

"Hey Angie. I have something for you."

Blonde hair swept around as the nurse turned. Neat, tidy, serious, they all described Angie, but the moment Dr. Stiles gave the plush dog to her, it was gone. She became embarrassed, "H-How did you know today's my birthday? A-And it's pink."

'… _oh my god, it is her birthday! How slow am… whoa wait… did…?'_

Dr. Stiles looked towards Kanji's room, but then looked back. He turned red, "D-Do you not like pink or something?"

"No. It's my favorite color. Thank you, Dr. Stiles," Angie said, smiling. "I can put it in our office and if any kids come in for shots, we'll be able let them hold it." She turned it over in her hands, "It's so well made… I can barely see the stitching. It's so cute…"

He smiled and rubbed his head, "I… It's no problem. H-Happy birthday."

Angie turned a deeper shade of red, but still smiled before turning and walking down the hall. Dr. Stiles looked after her, but then slipped into Kanji's room, "Did you know it was her birthday when you gave me the dog?"

"… You still had that thing? It's been a few days," Kanji said, looking up from his current sewing project: a penguin with a hat and bow tie. "Anyway, nope, I had no idea… … dammit."

"What's wrong?" Dr. Stiles asked.

"Threads tangled. Shouldn't you be talkin' to your girlfriend?" Kanji teased.

Dr. Stiles looked away, "Uh… well, we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend. We just work together."

"You two seem a lot closer," the patient sighed, leaning back against his pillows. He seemed to get tired much easier lately, but he remained awake, "Well, keep tryin'. You two should be together…"

"You serious?"

"I'm layin' in a hospital bed. I got no reason to joke 'round stuff like that. Also, my friends hooked up and they belonged together," Kanji replied, but then fell silent.

"Hey, you'll find someone too," Dr. Stiles reassured, but his patient wasn't paying attention. He was gazing out the window, towards the station down below. Dr. Stiles looked over and watched as people filed off and others boarded it. Nothing out of the ordinary…

"You gonna ask her out?"

"… What?"

"Your nurse friend… you gonna ask her out?" Kanji asked, but then added, "Don't wait too long."

Dr. Stiles gave him a questioning stare, but all the patient did was set his sewing supplies on his bed and lay back, dozing off in a second.

---

"She's not coming back, Kanji! She hasn't been back in six years! She doesn't give a damn about us and especially not you!"

Glass shattered against the ground, but Kanji didn't do anything, turning back towards the people in his room. Angie stood to the side, fuming and Dr. Stiles was just dumbfounded. One of the visitors, a blonde haired male with blue eyes, knelt down and picked up the picture frame from the glass, pulling the photo out with a frown.

"… Teddie set that down. We have to go to work…" the other male muttered, shaking his russet-haired head. He didn't even give Kanji a second glance, storming past Angie and Dr. Stiles. Angie, of course, quickly marched after him to give him an earful while Dr. Stiles approached the bed. The blonde man set the photo down on the bedside table before leaving quickly, somewhat frightened by Dr. Stiles's presence. Kanji stared at the photo for a second, but then returned to his sewing like always.

"Are you alright, Tatsumi-san?" Dr. Stiles asked, "That was random and uncalled for, but…"

"Ya asked her out yet?" Kanji butted in. Dr. Stiles frowned at the interruption and then shook his head. "… You should… before she leaves. You never know what'll happen when she's gone," Kanji murmured, his stitching slower than normal, "She might be gone forever and you'll never know where. You have more courage than I do, doc. Here…"

Dr. Stiles caught the doll tossed into his arms. It was a cat with a top hat and cane, all of which was elaborate in detail. Kanji laid back and turned his head, staring out the window. Dr. Stiles walked out quietly and proceeded down the hall.

"He's your friend! How could you just say that?!"

"It's the truth! He shouldn't be doing this to himself!"

"He's doing his best to recover!"

"He's not! He's waiting for someone who will never return!"

Dr. Stiles stopped walking. Angie was arguing with the russet-haired man in the waiting room, the blonde man standing nearby, "Y-Yosuke… we should just leave... We'll be late."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Hey! I'm not done speaking to you!" Angie exclaimed, but both of them left. She glared daggers at the hospital entrance, but then turned, startled to see Dr. Stiles standing behind her, "How long were you here?"

"Not that long… I stayed to talk with Tatsumi-san," he replied and then looked down at the doll. Quickly, he stuffed it in his pocket, "Hey, I know you might not be in the mood for questions like this after your… discussion, but… would you like to go out sometime? Look around the town and maybe have dinner with me?"

"Dr. Stiles… did you just ask me out?" she asked, somewhat baffled. Hesitantly, he nodded, turning red. She gazed at him, but then let out a small breath, "Sure. Might get my mind off that… jerk. Who says that to an ill friend?"

"I… I don't know," he answered simply, but at the moment, he was excited. Kanji was really helping him get with Angie, but so far, he hadn't done much in return. He would try doubling his efforts to cure him. Nothing was incurable… nothing…

---

"This will ease your breathing…" Angie murmured, placing the mask over their patient's face. Kanji nodded meekly, his hazel eyes shifting over to the window. Another train; more passengers stepping off and others gathering on; same as every day… He almost had cardiac arrest, but Dr. Stiles and Angie stopped it in time. Unfortunately, his breathing had become uneven, stopping periodically before starting again. "Are you comfortable, Tatsumi-san?" she asked calmly.

His eyes darted over to her and he nodded before muttering, "Yea… thanks."

"It's my job," she replied, smiling and sat down, "I'm sorry you have to stay here so long. Your mother told me you loathe hospitals."

"Not 's much… just sumthin' that happened a long time ago," Kanji explained. His hands were busy again with some fabric that he seemed to clumsily be shaping into a person. He paused after he got it finally, looking at Angie again, "… Would you ever leave someone you loved?"

"Hm? Someone I loved? Family or relationship-wise?" she asked back.

"Relationship… like, you really love 'em," he answered.

She sat down next to his bed, thinking for a moment, "I don't think I would have it in me to leave without saying a word. For instance, if it was work related, I would tell them, but even then, I would try staying in contact somehow."

"… Do you like the doc you work with?"

Silence before Angie looked at him bewildered, "E-Excuse me?"

"Do you like him enough not to leave 'im?" Kanji asked, closing his eyes for a second.

Angie had to think on this one. Really, Derek and her had just met this year, but there was something about him… passion, charisma, a sense of humor, but also concentration and seriousness when necessary. He was strong-willed and caring… maybe she did to be thinking about his positive traits like this. Was she attracted to him? Would she be able to leave now after they worked this way together?

"I'm… not sure. It's been a few months since we met and… I don't know. It might interfere with work or I might be transferred to assist another doctor…" she answered, but then frowned. Saying that made her chest hurt. The possibility of working with someone other than Derek? She wasn't sure, but…

"Don't leave 'im. He's a good guy. Don't think you'll find someone better than him…" Kanji whispered, letting his eyes drift close. Angie was there long after he fell asleep, still pondering over what he said. Finally, she rose to her feet and departed from the room, but not before placing his sewing supplies on the side table. She paused as a photo fluttered to the ground and picked it up.

Oh, she remembered this. Yosuke had broken the frame a few weeks ago. In the photo was a group of teens, all wearing the same uniform except for a blonde boy smiling broadly. Kanji barely fit in the photo due to his height. She recognized the others like Yosuke, Souji, Yukiko, Chie, Rise, but there was one she didn't know. Blue hair, gray eyes, a detective's cap… Angie's brain clicked. It was a young female, but she didn't know who she was. This girl never came to visit. Angie frowned and set the photo down, walking out of the room afterwards.

---

"Would you… be upset… if your nurse ever left?"

Dr. Stiles turned his head, looking at Kanji. He was doing as he always did at a sluggish rate, but it didn't seem like his hands would function properly. The doll was partially done. It was a person with blue hair and a small hat wearing a uniform of some kind. Dr. Stiles scratched his cheek, "I don't know, but I think at this point, maybe since we've been through so much… Oh, by the way, we're going out on another date soon."

"… I'm happy for you guys," Kanji said, grinning faintly, but then he looked out the window.

Dr. Stiles had been there for months, but now he was getting curious, "Tatsumi-san… why do you look out the window every time a train comes in?"

Kanji didn't answer. He just turned back and looked down at his doll. He set it aside, shaking his head, "I'm waitin' for someone. She left town a long time ago and said she'd come back."

"How long has it been?"

"Yosuke-senpai said… there's a bench by the station. Before here, I waited at it every day to see her get off the train. I'm just… makin' sure I don't miss her," he sighed. "I was too much of a chicken shit in high school to even talk to her and now I'm just waitin' to see her again."

"… She'll come back," Dr. Stiles said solemnly, "She'll come back and you'll be healthy enough to ask her out."

"… Heh, yeah… she will…" Kanji agreed, "… Oh, shouldn't you go see your girl?"

"Well, we're not going out tonight…" Dr. Stiles said, sitting down in one of the chairs. Kanji nodded.

" 'lright…"

---

No sewing, no looking out of the window, just sleeping. That's all he had been doing for a while. Everyone came to visit save for that one girl again; the one he was on his death bed waiting for. Derek frowned as him and Angie sat in the park, trying to come up with any disease they could think of, but nothing fit. He stared at his hands, balling them into fists, but then unclenched them. Kanji couldn't do that anymore, but…

"What can it be? It has to be treatable…" Derek said quietly, closing his eyes as the snow began to fall. "Everything has a cure…"

"… Dr. St—I mean, Derek? I know this is out of the blue, but… if I left suddenly, would you be upset?"

He casted a curious eye on Angie, but she didn't look back at him. She was fiddling with her fingers, biting her lip a bit, "I'm sorry. Tatsumi-san asked me that question a long time ago and I've been thinking about it for a while now. In our job, getting transfers and changing assistants is common, but then again, we're not exactly a normal doctor and nurse team. We were on the front line fighting against GUILT and there were so many struggles that we had to pull each other out of… I'd have to say, it made me see you in a different light…"

"… What kind of different light?" Derek asked, but Angie shook her head.

"I already said too much..!"

"Awe. Well, I guess I'll tell you he asked me the same question," Derek said after a moment, "I didn't know how to answer either, but I guess, after thinking about it, I would probably be a little upset."

"You would miss me? But I constantly nag you half the time."

"Hey, I'll admit sometimes I do need to be nagged to get back to work. I don't think any other nurse would be able to do that… hehe…" Derek turned red, smiling, "Still, it's not like I'd get a broken heart from it. We'd still be in the same field… and... able to see each other…! I got it! Call the hospital now!"

"W-What!? What is it?" Angie yelped, on her feet immediately.

Derek stood up, "It's a rare, but there have been cases of people losing their spouses and then having heart complications from emotional stress. Tatsumi-san isn't married, but he told me he's been waiting for a girl to come back to this town for 6 years in the same spot by the station. If his emotions towards that were strong…"

"… Oh god. Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"Takotsubo cardiomyopathy."

"Broken heart syndrome. Of course! That blue haired detective!"

Their pagers started ringing at that moment, but they were already rushing back towards Inaba Municipal…

… _He went peacefully._

Dr. Stiles ran up to the front, asking quickly what happened.

… _A note left mixed with the sewing thread._

"Y-You… pronounced him…?" Dr. Stiles asked, shocked as another doctor nodded.

"His heart gave out, but not painfully. It took a while to get into the room with the occupants still in there crying their eyes out… oh and there was something for you in the sewing supplies."

The doctor pulled out a folded note and handed it to Dr. Stiles. He took it and unfolded it, his hands shaking a bit.

_Hey doc:_

_Too tired to even try writing this, but I gotta. I lost my chance. I know she isn't coming back. Naoto's been gone for six years without so much as a letter and as senpai said, she didn't even notice I liked her. Hopefully, you and your nurse do better. I'm gonna keep waiting though for her. Maybe she'll come back…_

"Tatsumi-san…" Angie murmured. Dr. Stiles hand fell to his side.

The clock struck midnight and someone beyond the room yelled, "Merry Christmas!"

---

They held hands as they entered the cemetery; a bouquet of tulips in Angie's other arm. Neo-GUILT was gone now and it had been a while since they came. Cloudy today, but they wanted to come visit the grave. It had been a little over three years since his passing and… they couldn't thank Kanji enough for helping them get together, but still…

"Broken Heart Syndrome… it mostly occurs in people who lost their spouses or someone considerably close," Dr. Stiles muttered, his hold on Angie's hand tightening. The ring on her finger pressed against his palm and she frowned.

"Kujikawa-san told me that back in high school Tatsumi-san liked Shirogane-san very much, but he didn't know how to express it. When he finally had the courage, he waited…"

"… Staring at the station, making dolls… tossing aside his own well being…"

A woman rose to her feet as she spoke softly, her blue hair gusted gently by the wind as she looked back at them with sorrowful, blue-gray eyes, "It's something he would do… something I should've known." She shook her head, "Something I failed to assess in high school and again as an adult, but now I know. Too late… he'll still be waiting. He said so… I'll join him in the afterlife when my time permits…"

Angie stepped closer to Derek as Naoto Shirogane walked away.

oOoOoOo

Me: I didn't know how to end it. Oh well. (goes back to work on ViS)


End file.
